Great phone so far for us! August 11, 2010

Reviewer:  Mcmorty  (Oklahoma, USA) -

First of all, this is probably not the phone for a teenager; it just doesn't have the "cool" look most of them require. However, if you're an adult simply looking for a good phone with great volume and reception, this one would work for you. We also like to customize our ringtones and that works out fine. I can't speak for any of the other features since we really don't care about them. I have small hands and my husband's are larger and it feels fine for both of us. We've only had the phone for a few weeks, but so far it is just what we wanted. It was a challenge to find a reliable flip phone that doesn't require a data plan and we think we've succeeded with the Rugby II.

Much better than the original! October 22, 2010

Reviewer:  Nicole B. "Nicole"  (Baltimore, MD) -

I had an absolutely terrible experience with the original Rugby.. I had 3 of them that broke inside of a year (from the *original* date of purchase, mind you). B/c of the false information AT&T gave me on multiple calls (5 calls!), I could not get a new, alternative brand phone. So, I was forced into The Rugby II. Well, I'm happy to say it is much more reliable than the original! I haven't had any dropped calls. I haven't had any spontaneous connecting to the internet, either. The PTT button is still in the same spot as the original, but I don't seem to hit it as often. *shrug* I have a data plan, but this is not user friendly for that purpose. It will take pretty decent pictures when it's folded.

The texting bit is still a hassle, though. Predictive texting is easier, but a bit sketchy, and I haven't found a way to get rid of words from its vocabulary once they've been added. It's bulky and heavy, too, but it helps me keep up with it. If I'm suddenly feeling lighter, I know I've left my phone somewhere. LOL If you want a feather-light phone or one with all the bells and whistles, this isn't the phone you want. You'll need a heavy duty case, too. I use a magnetic one made by body glove.

I haven't had any difficulty pairing the Rugby II to my mac or my phone, or my PDA for that matter (BUT it won't SYNC with the Mac or PDA b/c they're not Windows machines). I can send pics, videos, etc. with no difficulty. Also, on the previous phones, I don't know if there was a voice dial option, but it's on the II. It's just a big P.I.T.A. to use, and it takes too long to respond. Don't try to voice dial 911. You'll die before the call's been made (maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit! lol).

The memory's decent, but that was never a complaint of mine with the original, either. From a non-smartphone point of view, this phone may intimidate those who are not very tech-savvy. It took awhile for me to get used to the Rugbys after having a more "consumer-ized" phone. Initially I felt like Jethro Gibbs (NCIS fans).. "how does this damn thing work?" "Can't you reboot it?" LOL The front display powers off too quickly, but that is also true of the original Rugby.

Now that my faith in Samsung has turned slightly for the better again, I'm getting a Samsung WEP570 bluetooth earpiece. I'll review that soon, too.

Potential Rugby II users: It's not as super cool as other phones out there, but it'll 'git 'er done.' Just be prepared to be patient. It's NOT lightning fast.. Oh, and you still can't read or reply to texts when you're on a call, but you can send them. And that kind of defeats the purpose of texting.

Virtual Entrapment December 31, 2010

Reviewer:  Sean 

I'm still fairly new with this phone so I won't speak to it's long term durability as some other reviewers have but my first impression is SAMSUNG has made a fairly decent product that's been turned into a money shake-down device by AT&T. My father who is quite inept with technology and notoriously hard on his phones chose the Rugby as it seemed to offer simplicity and durability. It seems like it is so until you start endlessly having to decline adding services. He doesn't necessarily want Push To Talk but EVERY TIME he answers the Rugby his finger rests on the PTT button and he first has to decline adding that feature before he can answer. The only way to disable it is to physically damage the button so it will not activate. The large center button is of course a browser launch shortcut which he hit's all the time. Was there not a class action about data use entrapment? There should be another. There is a GPS button which is easy for a senior to hit that also launches a service he does not want and cannot be disabled. The menu is a further fleece attempt festooned with AT&T services he doesn't want or need. Were we not stuck with AT&T due to location this would certainly have been the final straw. I'm looking forward to Apple finally getting the iPhone somewhere else so AT&T's subscriber pen get's busted open and they finally have to stop shaking down customers for accidental service in order to retain them. It's gotten unacceptable.

+ Two stars for what I feel is good Samsung quality (should have been 4).
- Eleventy stars for AT&T customer disdain.

Not as "rugged" as I anticipated September 7, 2010

Reviewer:  Kevin B Burgess 

I bought this phone a few months ago as my other one that I had for two years broke when it fell 6 feet. I promptly called AT&T and spoke with a representative who recommended the Sumsung Rugby as one of the most "rugged" phones they have. I gladly purchased the phone for about $50.00 as I was looking forward to having a phone that was able to take some "wear and tear".

For a couple of months this phone worked fine ... and yes, took some minor abuse in stride. And then, the other day I reached into my pocket for my car keys, and the phone fell out. The case broke apart where the phone flips on the right side ... and now some of the electronics are exposed. It fell about three feet onto the asphalt. I was told that it could take "punishment" up to a 30 foot fall.

It makes me wonder a bit about the military specifications mentioned in the paperwork and various sites I've seen.

If you buy this phone, I sincerely hope that you have better luck than I did!

Not the durable phone they say! September 4, 2010

Reviewer:  Cindy M 

I strongly do not recommend!!!! I dropped this phone approximately 2-1/2 feet (mid-thigh height) on a vinyl floor while walking through my kitchen. It landed on the hinge, broke to pieces and is NOT covered under warrantee. It's only warranteed for damage resulting from water! Otherwise, Samsung wants at least $70.36 (not including shipping, thank you) to repair it, possibly with used/reconditioned parts at their discretion, not yours.

A great phone if rugged is your priority September 17, 2010

Reviewer:  Patrick Ebert "PCE"  (Los Angeles, CA United States) -

I have had this phone for almost two years. It's been dropped dozens of times and this past weekend it was dropped into a pool. It still works as good as it did on day one. However, if you're looking for features, this isn't the phone for you.

Nice sturdy phone July 15, 2010

Reviewer:  minnzo  (MN USA) -

This phone is a great option for someone not wanting a phone requiring a data plan. It has a very nice weight to it, feels solid when closing it and seems well built. The speakerphone is nice and loud. It would be nice if the push to talk button could be disabled; it's easy to hit by accident. Considering the very limited selection of basic phones, I would say great job Samsung!

Samsung's Rugby, A Vexatious Wimp of a Phone June 19, 2012

Reviewer:  Ustaath 

The Rugby II "replaced" my old (and very sturdy) Nokia. The ever-reliable Nokia had served me faithfully for 7 full years when ATT determined that it couldn't tolerate such superb service in its network. The planet's largest telecommunications company sent a note advising their non-support for excellence but offering a "free" upgrade at an ATT store. I went in. Now the story gets ugly.

1. The store employees urged against the several "free" phones, pointing out that they were unpopular models for which ATT was discontinuing sale. They were simply offloading what should have been landfill.
2. I asked, then, what would be a no-frills model that was as rugged as Old Nokia. They replied, "None," but did recommend the misnamed Rugby as the next best thing. The catch: since I was declining a "free" phone, I'd need to buy the "reliable" model.
3. In "upgrading" to a worse phone, ATT charged an additional upgrade fee, cut my minutes in half, and locked in a new 2 year contract. Because I was leaving on a business trip for the Middle East the next day, I sucked it up and bought the Rugby.

The story gets uglier.

1. The phone seriously overheats after about 15 minutes of use.
2. The buttons and menu are aggressively counter-intuitive.
3. The voice quality is the the worst I have ever encountered.
4. The PTT feature has been located such that it cannot be avoided--and which brings additional charges when used. (But this can be disabled. Pry out the button, then clip the stem from its back. Replace. You'll be happy to have a less functional phone)

If the young revolutionaries in Cairo had all had Rugbys last year, Mubarak could never have been toppled

Not the durable phone you want June 29, 2010

Reviewer:  Roger Tompkins 

Samsung advertises the a837 as 'Rugged Military Spec. 810F Certified. It is not! We bought two, one broke within month of ordinary use and Samsung will not stand behind their warranty. I suggest you find another phone.

IF PTT BOTHERS YOU March 12, 2012

Reviewer:  Ron Molinaro 

Had to have a phone right away when my Motorola RAZZ died after years of abuse, so had to put out the $100.00 to AT&T instead of the penny thru Amazon. Anyway what I wanted was a tough phone with 3G. (At&T doesn't have 2G in some parts of the country which I found out on our last motorcycle trip with my old RAZZ).

My wants are simply, good phone service, big screen, one button speed dial, answer by opening lid and again, TOUGH ! Have had the phone two months and with an easy modification am very pleased with the phone.

Read a lot of reviews and the most common complaint was the PTT feature being turned on often. Yes I found this to be a real pain, often having to press buttons to tell the phone I didn't want to enable the service. After waiting the 30 day return period I fixed that issue.

Took a razor blade and carefully scrapped the case around the PTT button, then around the button. This was done to get good adhesion for step two, superglue. I carefully put a heavy bead of superglue around the PTT button. PTT hasn't activated in over a month, now I'm happy with the phone.

OK phone but serious bug October 18, 2011

Reviewer:  Yoda  (Storrs Mansfield CT) -

If you are looking for a somewhat old-fashioned cell phone -- i.e., no touchscreen and no querty pad -- this may be the one for you; indeed, I am okay with it in all respects except one, but it's a biggie. Thus, there is a PTT key on the left-hand side of the phone that is extremely sensitive and almost unavoidable when you open or otherwise handle the phone. As a result, I've received the PTT initialization prompt about three dozen times during my first two days of ownership. If you WANT PTT, that might not be so bad; but I want neither to use nor to pay for the feature, so this is a problem I encounter virtually every time I use the phone. I used the Samsung web site to ask how I might go about disabling the feature and received a response revealing that Samsung doesn't know how to do it. They suggested that I get in touch with my service provider, which I will do eventually, but I am stunned that Samsung doesn't have a fix for this. I would not have purchased the phone if I had known about this problem.

This is my first -- and likely my last -- product from Samsung, and I don't much like their web site either. I had a very simple query -- could I get a wired earphone or headset for this phone -- and it took a lot of work to find the right product.

Not even close to rugged April 30, 2011

Reviewer:  Douglas F. Mcgovern 

What a terrible phone. I broke the exterior screen on the this phone after having it for 3 months. The phone was still clipped to my belt and had not even fallen. After a long argument with AT&T they finally agreed to replace it. After all this is supposed to be a tough phone.Got the replacement and approx 6 months latter the exterior screen again broke. At&T would not consider replacing the second phone and samsung could have cared less. The speaker quality is terrible as well as the microphone. I constantly have to yell into the phone so someone can hear me. Just crap.

Crappy reception February 17, 2012

Reviewer:  Bugeye58  (Highland, Michigan, USA) -

I've had this phone for roughly six months, and frankly, it's a piece of garbage. It consistently performs very poorly as far as reception goes. I've had to terminate calls because I couldn't hear the ther party well enough to continue. I never had this problem with my old Motorola EM330.
Texting is a chore with the poorly laid out format requiring you to change screens for simple punctuation or numeric functions.
AT&T keeps trying to blame the reception issues on a local network problem. A coworker has an identical phone with the identical problem. Other coworkers with AT&T service, but different phones do not have this issue.
As an MP3 player coupled with my Bluetooth it's great.
As a phone, it leaves a lot to be desired.

PTT Cure, non-permanent solution. SILICONE! August 30, 2012

Reviewer:  Deadcenter 

The biggest reason that I see people not liking on this phone is the PTT button and it's annoying inability to be deactivated or reassigned.

Rather than glue it or clip the little nib that activates the PTT inside the button, what I did easy is and totally reversible:

I pried the button out, smeared a little bit of RTV Silicone into the recess, replaced the button, wiped off the excess silicone and let it cure overnight. The button will no longer depress and activate the annoying PTT message, and if need be, I can simply reverse it by peeling the silicone out of the button recess.

I used RTV Black Silicone gasket goop, but I am sure any silicone will do nicely. The RTV is nicely color matched and the excess wipes away easily.

durable March 26, 2011

Reviewer:  hotsy68 

i have bought two of them,first off iam a contractor home repairs,i bought the first one almost 2 yrs ago and has been beat around the jobsite,once i dropped it 2 and half stories off roof landed on the conc patio,just jared the sims card loose,after pushing it in it works as new, i have a daily habit of putting my ph between my legs as i drive and when i get out ,it never fails my phone bounces off the ground,it still worked good,one day my contract was up for renewal so i got a new one same kind,stashed the old beat up one away,lastweek i was at gas station and left my ph on top of pump and drove off,no one returned it.so i retrieved my old one had a new sims card installed,charged it up and BAM ! it still works,so yes it is very durable and takes a beating,

Rugged phone? Don't make me laugh! February 15, 2012

Reviewer:  BW "BW"  (Virginia) -

Got this phone 5 months ago on a new contract for my son who was in Afghanistan. When he returned he decided he didn't like it so I kept it. The other day I got the phone out of my pocket and the display was messed up. Took it to an AT&T store who told me that it was a pressure crack which couldn't be repaired and wasn't covered by warranty. They acknowledged that there was no exterior damage but said that there was nothing they could do for me other than sell me a new phone. I don't subject electronics to harsh treatment, in fact the phone has been very gently handled and shows no exterior wear or tear. How can Samsung and AT&T advertise this as a rugged phone? I'm extremely disappointed that neither of them stand by this product or their customer service.

BTW - The other reviewer comments about the placement of the PTT and browser buttons are so true. Accidental activation of these services are constantly inevitable with this phone.

Best Phone Ever September 13, 2010

Reviewer:  D. Silverstein 

This is the best phone I have ever owned! I love it! I bought this phone becauuse Samsung lists it as "rugged". Other reviewers of this phone (with contract) have stated that it is not all that rugged. Thus far I cannot agree. It is light plastic and not as heavy or as rubberized as I was expecting, but, all in all, it will hold up quite well. The battery life is unexpectedly long, which is one of my biggest problems with my previous phone. The features are surprisingly relevent: a USB-based wall charger, voice dial (without the hassle of recording), micro SD card slot, GPS (which I have not used), etc. It has all of the features I want without the need for a data plan.

Trash September 23, 2010

Reviewer:  Larry5371 

I bought this in Jan. 2010, because the dealer said it was AT&T's most durable phone. I never abused or dropped the phone. After just eight months the right side hinge broke off when I answered the phone. Samsung will not honor the warrenty and considers this abuse. Now the dealer wants me to buy another? This is a piece of junk. Do not buy this phone. You will be sorry.

Samsung Rugby II will not connect to any PC October 25, 2011

Reviewer:  Jose R. Grana "PepeGuitar"  (MIAMI, FL USA) -

Somebody has to tell the Samsung people that this phone has serious problem connecting to PC's.
I have spent more than 20 hours on the phone talking with several different Samsung technical people and they couldn't help me find any way to connect the Samsung SGH-A847 Rugby II to any type of PC. I have three computers, one an HP desktop with Windows 7 64 bit, the other an HP desktop with Windows Vista 32 bit, the third one a laptop with Windows Vista 32 bit. For hours on end I followed the detailed instructions of Samsung Support technicians and to no avail. The phone is detected by the computer (the computer makes a sound and there is for a moment a bar in the Samsung New PC Studio software), but that's it. I purchased and added a memory card to use the 'mass storage' function, hoping this will give me some kind of connectivity, but it didn't work either. Furthermore, and this is very unfortunate to the users, the Samsung "New PC Studio" software has not been licensed and approved by Microsoft and the software is labeled by all Windows computers as a dangerous program that will harm your computer when you are in the process of installing it. Of course this is not true, (Norton Antivirus says the program is safe) but right now the problem is that Windows computers are labeling the Samsung software as dangerous and harmful when it is not and probably affecting its functionality. The Samsung "New PC Studio" is the software that is supposed to let you communicate your phone with your computer. The program loads and works but will not 'sync' with the Samsung SGH-A847 phone or connect to it, no matter how hard you try or how many tricks you pursue. Every time you get the message that there are no devices connected.
In today's world, an 'advanced' cellular phone that is not recognized by any computer and will not 'sync' or connect with the computer no matter what you try or do, is simply not acceptable.
There are also no updates or upgrades to the phone software available yet. I have also called AT&T and they don't know anything at all about this problem or care at all about it. They believe is a Samsung problem and not their problem to resolve.
It is a total shame, because apart from this serious problem, that is still unresolved by Samsung, the phone is an average phone that works.

The phone is good - if you do not crack the screen July 2, 2010

Reviewer:  Busy Lizzy  (New York) -

We had the phone approx. 45 days and the screen cracked. Our carrier would not exchange and we could not find a local place to fix it. Still works with the crack. You can see the numbers and incoming calls.
Update: Dec. 2012
I needed a new phone after 2 yrs of using the one with the crack (still works) so I got the same model (I do like the phone) and they have improved it slightly. You can actually drop this phone in water and it will work. The new phone has better volume. I got a case for the phone which protects the screen. So far so good.